Lord Rooker: The H2OK—Keep it Clean booklet (published February 2007) was not specifically endorsed by Ministers, but officials were consulted as part of the production process. This leaflet is part of a long-standing campaign on water protection from the Voluntary Initiative (VI) for Pesticides' programme of work, which aims to minimise the impact of pesticides on the environment. The VI is an industry initiative managed by a steering group made up of a wide range of pesticide interests, including the Crop Protection Association which has led on this publication.
	The VI is actively contributing to Defra's England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative through a small consultancy contract to provide pesticide-specific environmental advice and training in catchments with known pesticide problems covered by the initiative. The H2OK campaign contributes to this work.

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, having regard to section 50(9A)(a) of the British Nationality Act 1981, a minor whois born abroad would be a British citizen under Section 2 of the British Nationality Act 1981 in the following circumstances (a) neither the biological father or mother of the child was a British citizen at the time of the child's birth; (b) the husband of the child's mother at the time of the birth, who is not the biological father, is a British citizen otherwise than by descent; (c) the child was conceived without resort to artificial means of insemination by its biological father and the mother; (d) the marriage between the husband and the child's mother has been lawfully entered into and is valid; and (e) the marriage between the husband and the child's mother was entered into primarily for the purposes of obtaining British citizenship for the child and is to be dissolved after the child's birth.

Lord Rooker: The UK does not hold detailed greenhouse gas emissions statistics for each European Union member state. Most member states report greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These data, yearly from 1990, can be found on the UNFCCC website.
	There is a longer data history for UK carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide emissionsfrom 1970 can be found in the national atmospheric emissions inventory which is available on thewebsite.

Lord Rooker: The department has made over 750 general and local statutory instruments since 2001. However, the department does not have a central database of revoked regulations or which identifies those that are updated regulations, and collation of the data requested would involve disproportionate cost.
	The department views the revocation, modernisation and rationalisation of its regulations as an essential part of its approach to regulating better. For example, the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2005, which govern the statutory controls on veterinary medicines, provided much-needed clarity and improved comprehension by replacing part of the Medicines Act 1968 and 49 separate statutory instruments. To keep these regulations up to date and to maintain their ease of use they havebeen replaced by the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2006 as part of an annual exercise to revoke and remake them.
	The Veterinary Medicines Regulations are one of a number of simplification measures the department is taking forward. The department's 2006 simplification plan, Maximising Outcomes, Minimising Burdens, identifies a reduction in the administrative burden Defra imposes on business of £159 million, more than 30 per cent of the department's total administrative burden. Copies of the simplification plan are available from the Library.

Lord Rooker: Defra is committed to a comprehensive programme of regulating better. Our December 2006 simplification plan, Maximising Outcomes, Minimising Burdens, explains the action that is being takenacross Defra and its agencies to reduce administrative burdens and to improve regulations. That includes removing redundant legislation without compromising environmental standards, seeking alternatives to traditional regulation and taking a risk-based approach to enforcement and inspection.
	The simplification plan, which is available from the Library of the House, identifies over 130 separate initiatives that will contribute to meeting our target of reducing the administrative burden we impose on business by 25 per cent by 2010. Those initiatives are scheduled to deliver an annual administrative burden reduction of around £159 million, more than 30 per cent of the department's total administrative burden. They include:
	movements of hazardous waste—simplifying paperwork for monitoring movements will deliver savings of £2.1 million;whole-farm approach—the administrative saving for farmers is estimated at £2.9 million by 2009-10 (based on current uptake);replacement of the Over Thirty Months Scheme with the older cattle disposal scheme—will deliver administrative savings of £3.49 million by the end of 2008;fruit and vegetable marketing standards (introduction of electronic certificates of conformity with EU marketing standards)—will achieve administrative savings of £3.22 million in 2007; and the game licensing review—realises administrative savings of £0.6 million per annum—starting in mid-2007.

Lord Rooker: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) was the competent control authority (CCA) in England for groundwater (SMR 2), sewage sludge (SMR 3) and nitrate vulnerable zones (SMR 4) for the 2005 and 2006 single payment scheme (SPS) years. However, it delegated checking these SMRs to the Environment Agency (EA).
	For the 2006 scheme year, the RPA supplied the EA with inspection data in sufficient time to enable the EA to carry out the 1 per cent statutory inspection programme within the deadline (effectively the 2006 calendar year).
	For the 2007 scheme year, the EA was appointed CCA for SMRs 2, 3 and 4. It is therefore now responsible for selecting 1 per cent of all SPS claimants for an on-the-spot check using a risk analysis appropriate to the SMRs for which it is responsible for enforcing. The RPA, as the paying agency, is still required to pass SPS claimant data to the EA. This was provided to the EA in December 2006, which should allow it sufficient time to select the inspections for 2007 and complete them by the end of the calendar year.

Lord Rooker: The Environment Agency (EA) currently delivers£15 million of savings each year against an overall budget of approximately £450 million for flood risk management. This equates to just over 3 per cent and these efficiencies cover only part of the inflationary burden that is currently running at between 4 per cent and 5 per cent. To date, it has been possible to reprioritise activities to allow key outputs to be maintained in keeping with the 2004 spending review target.
	The EA is working to ensure that further efficiencies are delivered and has contributed evidence on funding requirements to inform the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: It is for local primary care trusts in conjunction with other stakeholders to make an assessment of availability and commission services for local people.
	NHS South West has advised departmental officials that screening was introduced in Gloucestershire in September 1990 for men reaching the age of 65. Each year just over 3,000 men are invited for screening.
	NHS South East Coast has advised that screening was introduced at St Richard's Hospital, part of the Royal West Sussex National Health Service Trust, in 1983 for men aged from 65 to 80. Since 1988, men over the age of 65 have been screened as part of a research programme funded by the NHS Research and Development and the Medical Research Council, and each year just over 2,000 men are invited for screening.
	The United Kingdom national screening committee (NSC) has advised that screening for men aged 65 for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) can be recommended in principle subject to further work, particularly on the appropriate configuration of treatment services and the provision for men to make an informed choice about whether to undergo screening. At its meeting in March 2007, the NSC considered further work undertaken by the AAA screening working group. More detailed work will now be undertaken on the practical issues that would be involved in implementation.

Health: Medical Training Applications

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There is now a coalition of 150 organisations working together and using social marketing techniques to develop a deep understanding of the drivers of families' food and physical activity habits. This has informed twomain areas of work enhancing the programmes to tackle obesity: first, improving the effectiveness of initiatives through understanding and supporting families in overcoming the barriers that prevent them leading healthier lifestyles; secondly, tackling obesity requires a societal response with a broad range of organisations working collaboratively to influence the problem. The Government are providing directionfor this work and facilitating these working partnerships.
	These two work areas have also helped in the development of a number of new campaigns, rolling out from spring 2007. The first of these campaigns, a 5 A DAY campaign branded as Top Tips for Top Mums is an initiative to tackle the key barriers to children eating fruit and vegetables.

Lord Rooker: The period from September 2006 to February 2007 was the wettest since 1914 and enabled reservoirs and aquifers to recover to normal spring levels. The outlook for water supply is now healthier than it has been over the last two years. All water companies have statutory drought plans setting out a range of actions to take in the event of a developing drought.
	The Department of Health's heat wave plan exists to reduce the health risks of hot weather. It informs the public and health and social care professionals of the dangers, encourages them to plan ahead for care, and sets out practical action in the event of a heatwave.
	In order to cope with the impacts of unavoidable climate change such as hotter summers, we need to adapt. This action is complementary to our efforts to reduce emissions to avoid dangerous levels of climate change.
	The Government are developing an adaptation strategy containing three key elements: a clear direction at national level, a responsive and evolving framework for action and a new agreement with communities and citizens. The adaptation policy framework around which this strategy is based is being developed to guide decision-making across government. Phase 2 is under way and will see the development of a cross-government framework by the end of this year.

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many asylum seekers have come to the United Kingdom from Iraq in the last two years; of these, how many are "failed asylum seekers"; and how many have been returned to Iraq (a) voluntarily, and (b) against their will.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Information on asylum applications, initial decisions, appeal outcomes and removals for Iraqi nationals is published quarterly and annually. Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	Excluding dependants, the number of Iraqi asylum applications received during 2005 and 2006 was 2,365. Information on how many of the applications lodged in the last two years have been refused and how many have subsequently been removed is not available; this information would be available only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many asylum seekers have come to the United Kingdom from Zimbabwe in the last two years; of these, how many are "failed asylum seekers"; and how many have been returned to Zimbabwe (a) voluntarily, and (b) against their will.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Information on asylum applications, initial decisions, appeal outcomes and removals for Zimbabwean nationals is published quarterly and annually. Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	Excluding dependants, the number of Zimbabwean asylum applications received during 2005 and 2006 was 2,705. Information on how many of the applications lodged in the last two years have been refused and how many have subsequently been removed is not available; this information would be available only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: We fully accept that an effective civil justice system delivers a collective benefit to society as well as helping those people specifically involved in individual cases. But it does not follow that taxpayers should subsidise the level of court fees generally. Rather, help should be directed at those least able to pay court fees. Litigants that can afford to pay the full cost should do so. To set fees at a lower level, or remove them altogether, would allow corporations and other wealthy litigants to benefit from taxpayer contributions. Further, the, reduction in income would increase pressure on other budgets such as legal aid.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The fees to replace lost passports are the same as for applications for new passports and renewals. For the standard service the fees are £66 for adults and £45 for children, for the one-week fast-track service the fees are £91 and£80 respectively.

Lord Adonis: The Government allocate resources to departments on a three year cycle through spending reviews. DfES received its settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11 in the 2007 Budget. We are now thoroughly evaluating the financial implications and are working to allocate funding as effectively as possible to ensure the maximum benefit to children and young people.

Lord Goldsmith: Morale within the SFO remains high—the SFO has a heavy and continuing case load across a wide variety of investigations apart from those relating to overseas corruption.
	SFO staff members are professionals and well used to ongoing assessment of the various factors that may affect the continuance of an investigation. They recognise that not all investigations result in prosecution.